Seven US Navy sailors are missing and at least three are injured, including the commander of the USS Fitzgerald, which collided with a merchant vessel near Yokosuka, Japan, according to a US Pacific Fleet spokesman. US sailors reportedly called the Japanese Coast Guard for assistance.

"There are seven Sailors unaccounted for; the ship and the Japanese Coast Guard continues to search for them," the US 7th Fleet has confirmed. The same account was previously reported by the Japanese Coast Guard to Japanese public TV channel NHK.

Among the injured was the commanding officer of the USS Fitzgerald, Commander Bryce Benson, who is in stable condition after being transferred to US Naval Hospital Yokosuka, according to the 7th Fleet.

"Other injured [sic] are being assessed," the fleet said.

One injured sailor was being evacuated from the US ship by a Japanese Coast Guard helicopter, the US Navy reported earlier.